European Sovereignty Monitor

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CNES picks ArianeGroup to lead ASTRE reusable rocket engine project

France's CNES selected ArianeGroup to lead the ASTRE project, developing a 200 to 300 tonne-thrust reusable methalox engine, Europe's first full-flow staged-combustion design, with two demonstrators due from 2026.

Verified Editor-read ArianeGroup press release, 17 June 2025

What it does not test. Does not state a contract value, nor confirm the engine will be fitted to an actual future launcher programme.

How this item counts. This item is dated before the index starts on 1 January 2026, so it does not count in the European Sovereignty Index.

How this item was made. Drafted by an AI system (Claude (Anthropic)) from the source cited above; read and approved by the editor on 2026-10-20. How the record is made

What the tags mean: VerifiedReportedAI-draftedAI-drafted, editor-readHuman-writtenWhat the tags mean

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